How to Get a Dyson Vacuum for $100

Alright, this post is a little tongue-in-cheek just because I am so in love with my Dyson.

First of all, if you don't know what a Dyson is, it's a vacuum that is like the Mercedes or BMW's of vacuums. High quality but also high in price. You get what you pay for. New Dyson vacuums can cost up to $400+.

When I saw the Red Flag Deals post on a refurbished Dyson vacuum (they have this sale quite regularly throughout the year), I was reluctant to take advantage of this opportunity just because I never thought I would spend $200+ on a vacuum. But after thinking about my pug's fawn coloured fur all over my dark laminate flooring (enough some days to knit a fur coat with), I thought it would be a good idea to buy one of these.

The following is a break down of the vacuum woes I have had prior to Dyson coming into my life.

We have a Shark corded vacuum (it is so powerful that the lights flicker when I turn it on. Yes it's that powerful), but I rarely use it because:

It's so friggin' heavy that my back hurts whenever I use it

It has a cord (as a gen Y individual notoriously lacking in patience, cords and vacuums do not go well together)

It isn't easily maneuverable

We also have a cordless handheld Shark vacuum (courtesy of Canadian “crappy” tire of course)

This is the one that I probably use the most

I lost the attachment for hard floors so I end up scratching my flooring every time I use it

I end up bending down to vacuum with a hand held (not only do I look like an idiot doing this, it hurts my back)

Oh, I'm not done. We also have a iRobot wannabe (courtesy of Dirt Devil). It sells for $199 at Canadian “crappy tire” and it is not worth the money at all. We got it for $99. But still. Not worth it.

Despite meticulously watching the video instructions online on how to properly use it, I have to rescue it all the time

The battery life on it is pretty dismal

Instead of leaving it alone (e.g. saving time by doing other more important things), I end up watching it to see where it will go next, or what it will do next. It's mesmerizing, I'll give it that!

Therefore, I took the plunge and decided to go for a Dyson vacuum DC35 (multi floor).

If you're lucky enough to regularly scour the Red Flag Deals, website, you may be able to get a refurbished Dyson vacuum for $114.99, but I got it for $230 including taxes (and free shipping). Refurbished vacuums still have the 1 year warranty for parts and labour (as long as you register for it) and honestly, I'm a huge fan of refurbished. You're saving it from going into the landfill whilst saving money at the same time. I have a refurbished laser printer and it has performed amazingly.

This is how I got it for $100 (or at least in my mind, this is how I got it done)

Sold the Shark corded vacuum on craigslist for $60 (You're probably going to think I'm extremely cheap, but I actually found this vacuum in a backlane a few months ago with a sign saying “free”. I cleaned it up nicely for the craigslist buyer and they bought it for $60)

Sold the cordless hand held vacuum for $20. Cleaned it up nicely and sold it to someone on craigslist who looked like a gamer and probably will use his handheld vacuum to vacuum the crumbs off the computer, his computer chair, and computer desk to play World of Warcraft

Sold the robotic vacuum for $50 to a friend's friend. Didn't tell her about how terrible it works. She seemed to like it.

So basically got rid of three vacuums for one vacuum. The DC35 moves so nicely and it actually makes it FUN to vacuum (seriously, who would have thought that vacuuming would be fun??) because the roller-ball on the vacuum is so easy to maneuvre. The attachments easily come off and it can be converted to a handheld vacuum easily. It works very well despite the 15 minute of vacuuming time, it's sufficient for my living area.

Not only does it perform well, it just looks so sexy. My boyfriend may have his car to ogle at, and I have my vacuum (as non-feminist as that sounds).

Young is a writer and former owner of Young and Thrifty and the main "twitter' behind Young and Thrifty's twitter account. She lives in Vancouver, BC and enjoys long walks on the beach, spending time with her anxious dog, and finding good deals. If you like what you read, consider signing up for email updates.

I snagged a Dyson from one of my parents and haven’t given it back yet because it’s the only thing standing between me and complete pet hair ridden insanity. If I ever have to give it back, I’m raiding my savings to buy a new one. Thanks for the info on the Red Flag deals, I’ll definitely remember that in the future.

Interesting perspective. I did look into getting a handheld Dyson once (which appears to be what you have there by the photo) but the short run time is what deterred me in the end. Nothing drives me absolutely crazy like a battery going dead. I decided to save my sanity and avoid it for that reason. No level of cleaning power could overcome that. If they upped that to 30 minutes, I might have considered it.

It’s nice that you’ve had good experiences with refurbished products, which is often the case because sometimes they are just brand new products that were returns and what have you. However, the number of times I’ve had to send defective electronics back under warranty and have the come back completely unchanged with the exact same problem deters me from buying a refurb right from the start. I don’t trust the quality assurance departments to catch those small but annoying problems with things that I seem to have a special talent for finding. I am a power user of almost everything so it seems if there is a problem, I’ll find it and it will annoy me to no end.

I’ll stick to trying to get the best possible deal on brand new with the occasional used purchase but you can save some money with refurbs if you are careful.

I do this all the time. When there is something that I want to buy new, I look for the stuff that it’s going to replace and I sell those things on Kijiji. I do this all the time with kids stuff, it’s a great way to get rid of clutter and ‘upgrade’ toys etc for less. Great post.

Virginiaon November 17, 2012 at 12:35 pm

I have two of the fluffiest dogs in the world so I consider myself to be something of a vacuum connoisseur. We have all hardwood floors which reduces the need for an upright vacuum. Instead, we have moved into the future. I just purchased “the jet pack”. It straps onto your back and I can move around the house with ease. Of course, I look like a steampunk character who is going to launch herself into the stratosphere. I’m thinking about getting a pair of goggles to go with it…

Kevinon November 23, 2012 at 12:01 pm

I have a Dyson hand held Vac from about 3-4 years ago.
I love the technology, but this vac is a DUD.
It only ever lasted about 5 minutes on a charge and doesn’t always suck the dirt well.
I enquired about this and they said 5 minutes is good… WHAT ?!?!?
Dyson… Great idea… WAY overpriced…

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